Skip to main content
Home The New Paper
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team

Popular

  • COURT & CRIME
  • Food & Drink
Team Singapore

Chew to debut in invite-only Asian Cup

Chew to debut in invite-only Asian Cup
POTENTIAL LEADER: Men's national table tennis coach Liu Jiayi believes Clarence Chew (above) has impressive credentials. 
ST FILE PHOTO

Southpaw selected for prestigious invite-only tournament

Lim Say Heng
Sports Correspondent
Apr 22, 2016 06:00 am
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • 0 Engagements

At 20, Singapore table tennis player Clarence Chew has already won two men's singles bronze medals at the South-east Asia Games and a team gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

He's also competed at several World Championships, including this year's edition in Malaysia two months ago.

Next week the southpaw will mark a first in his career by competing in the invitation-only Asian Cup in Dubai.

The annual men's and women's singles tournament sees the defending champion, the world's top 11 Asian paddlers and four sub-continental representatives make up the field.

"I am humbled and quite excited to be able to participate because all the best players in Asia will be there," the Singapore Sports School graduate said yesterday.

"Preparations are going well; I am training pretty well and I have also watched videos to analyse my opponents."

Football trumps fear of injury
Singapore Football

Dollah Kassim Award: Football trumps fear of injury for Khairul

Nov 17, 2017

Related Stories

Dollah Kassim Award: Rezza fuelled by sibling rivalry

Bahrain coach: Hassan among Asia's best goalkeepers

Dollah Kassim Award: Marc unfazed by comparisons with his father Steven Tan

Chew was nominated by the South-east Asia Table Tennis Association because of his "good performances".

According to Singapore Table Tennis Association senior high-performance manager Eddy Tay, they took into account more than just competition results.

A maximum of two paddlers per nation will take part in the tournament, with Gao Ning, women's defending champion Feng Tianwei and teammate Yu Mengyu also doing battle for Singapore next week.

While Pang Xuejie's defeat of Japanese world No. 15 Koki Niwa was a highlight at the World Team Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Chew's performances there caught the eye of several observers.

Men's national coach Liu Jiayi even said that the Chew had the potential to be the leader of the team in the "foreseeable future".

Chew, ranked 168th in the world, said: "I think to play at the top level, I still need to work on a lot of stuff - in terms of technical and physical abilities and my mental strength.

"At the World Championships, at times I would be too eager to perform (when doing well) and made mistakes. Sometimes I need to calm down and take my time to play."

Chew has been inspired by the performances of Pang and Chen Feng.

Chen Feng beat senior players Gao Ning and Li Hu en route to clinching an Olympic men's singles spot at the Asia qualifiers in Hong Kong last week.

Chew is in the running for a place at the Rio Olympics in August, if Gao Ning receives a singles slot via his world ranking.

If Singapore have two representatives in the men's singles, the Republic may be given a third slot for the team event.

Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now

SINGAPORE ATHLETESSingaporesportsclarence chew

Lim Say Heng

Sports Correspondent
sayheng@sph.com.sg
@LimSayHeng
Read articles by Lim Say Heng
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • Newslink -  Purchase this article for republication

Top Stories this Month

Singapore

Mum killed in crash on way home to celebrate with son

Jan 19, 2021
ICA officers find contraband cigarettes in God of Fortune figurines
Singapore

Thousands of duty unpaid cigarettes found in CNY figurines on lorry: ICA

Jan 18, 2021
Collision with bike leaves girl, 8, needing eye surgery
Singapore

Collision with bike leaves girl, 8, needing eye surgery

Jan 18, 2021
Home
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contact TNP
  • About SPH
  • Privacy Statement
  • Data Protection Policy
  • Member Terms & Conditions
  • Website Terms & Conditions
SPH Digital News Copyright © 2021 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn No. 198402868E